Cadwell Race Report

Cadwell Endurance (senior 1000 Tag)

I was sitting watching kids TV in the morning with Kam on Friday when the phone rings with a number I hadn’t seen before – I don’t get to answer it in time so I presume a wrong number, it is followed by a text –“ Jonty its Sam, can you ride tomorrow in the cadwell endurance my partners had a crash and cant ride.” After close to 2 seconds deliberation I’m texting back to confirm I will be there!

As I thought I wasn’t racing for some the bike was still in a million pieces and needed rebuilding and some old tyres fitting, so after work Friday I was straight in the shed and on the case. I get to Cadwell in time for a few pints in the bar with some good friends before retiring to Skelly and Niges motorhome for some kip – well other than the fact the pub came back the van with us and we kept going until the wee hours of the morning – I turned in before SKelly so I don’t know what time he stopped giggling and drinking!

Sat morning and I meet the team- what a cool bunch of people – we set up and go out for first practice – I cruised round finding my rhythm - all ok. For Qual Sam goes out first and pops in a few laps then I’m on with the transponder and out for my stint – I get stuck in traffic a few times but do manage one nearly clear lap which seems an ok time considering the tyres and the Oulton set up that is still on the bike so I come in to save some rubber for the race. We are going to try and do 2 45 min stints each which may be hard as it sssoooo hot with no real shelter in pit lane.

I start the race and get me nose chopped off from the start so am 3rd into the first corner – 1st in class behind the masters riders, I can sit at the pace with no problems but my pit board telling me I’m pulling away from 2nd place in the seniors so I back off a bit and get in a rhythm, no need to cook the tyres too much. The rest of the stint goes ok with no dramas other than pace car coming out which actually worked to our favour. Into the pits and Sam heads out.

Sam’s riding well and popping in consistent good times and all too quickly his stint is over and I’m out again – I hit my pace and can see I’m pulling away from Skelly in 2nd place, by the end of the stint I can see him on the straight so I know Sam is out with nearly a full lap lead.

For some reason our timing is slightly out so I will have to go out again for the last 15 mins – no drama as Nige (in a close 2nd place) has to come is with a broken gear lever and it takes him a while to get back out – so I cruise the last 10 minutes to take the chequered flag – Sam wasn’t too happy about being brought back in but it had to be done so as not to get the time penalty for staying out too long.

Anyway – we won – fastest lap in class and Pole position. What more can we do than that?

It was a great race to the end and good to be out with Skelly again – good to meet Nige his team mate, excellent company and ALWAYS hard to race against.

Thanks to everyone involved who got me there and let me race.

A big thanks to Sam for calling me and to all the pit crew who made me feel at home and did a great job.